PERFECT: Lady Pats beat Somerset for ninth straight home win
Published 1:18 pm Thursday, October 12, 2017
Photo by Nancy Leedy LADY PATRIOT senior Rachael Huffman goes up for a bump return in Lincoln’s 3-0 sweep of Somerset in the team’s regular-season finale. The Lady Patriot volleyball team went undefeated on its home floor, winning nine straight matches.
STANFORD — The Lincoln County Lady Patriot volleyball team recorded its ninth victory inside J.C. Eddleman Gymnasium this season, capping off the regular season with a 3-0 sweep of Somerset (25-19, 25-15, 25-17) Thursday night to finish undefeated at home for the first time in program history.
“It was a big night for us,” Lincoln coach Samantha Torres said. “We were trying to stay undefeated at home and it was Senior Night and all, so it was really good to go out and get the win. It was good to honor the seniors (Natasha Benedict, Rachael Huffman) and it was good to finish off the season really well.”
Juniors Jasmine Whited and Savanna Smith led the team in the win, with Whited getting three aces to go with four kills, five assists and four digs and Smith adding four kills, seven blocks and four digs. Junior Taryn Johnson had three aces and three kills for the Lady Patriots, Peyton Griffin had four aces and four assists, Cassandra Jett had three blocks and Haley Bowen had three digs.
Lincoln (21-5) trailed 6-5 in Game 1 before going on a 6-2 run and giving itself a lead that Somerset could not come back from.
Somerset (7-14) led early in Game 2 and was holding to a 10-7 lead before Lincoln broke on an 11-3 run. Smith ended the game with a block as the Lady Patriots grabbed a 2-0 lead in the match.
Lincoln never trailed in the third and final game. The Lady Pats were up 8-7 when Griffin stepped behind the line to serve up five straight points and make it 13-7. The Lady Briar Jumpers got no closer than four points the rest of the way as Lincoln put the match away with a 25-17 win.
“We’re really excited with how we’re playing,” Torres said. “I’ve got really good individual players and then they all play together so well.”
The Lady Patriot volleyball team starts postseason play Tuesday, Oct. 17, at Danville High School. Lincoln, the 45th District’s top seed will play the winner of Monday’s first round game between Danville and Kentucky School for the Deaf. Lincoln and the Game 1 winner will play in Tuesday’s semifinal round at 5:30 p.m.
Garrard County and Boyle County will meet in Tuesday’s second game at approximately 6:30 p.m.
The title match will be played on Thursday, Oct. 19 at 5:30 p.m.
